Securing Our Future
by cherik-mcbender
Summary: Erik picks up a gun to kill Mystique so that their future will be forever changed. Charles tries to stop him. But he fails.


**Prompt:** _You know that scene in DOFP where Erik goes to shoot Raven but Hank tries to stop him, then she leaps through the window and only gets the bullet through jet leg, could you do it where he's actual successful in wounding her fatally and Charles'meaction. :-) Sorry, I just get the most feels out of your sad fics. Thankies._

Charles continued to murmur to Mystique, gently stroking her hair, as she recovered from the electricity. She opened her eyes, taking in the face she thought she'd never see again.

Erik flicked his hand, and the gun lying on the table flew toward him.

Charles turned. "Erik, what are you doing?"

Without taking his eyes off of Mystique, Erik aimed and cocked the gun. "Securing our future. Forgive me, Mystique. As long as you're out there, we'll never be safe."

Mystique slowly got onto her feet, crouching on the table, her eyes flicking back and forth between Charles and Erik, her heart pounding.

"Erik," Charles warned, his voice low. He stretched his hand out toward Erik, trying to calm him.

"Use your powers, Charles. Stop him," Mystique said quickly.

Charles shook his head, his voice catching in his throat. "I – "

"He can't." Erik's finger tensed on the trigger, his jaw tightening as he prepared to shoot one of his best friends.

Hank lunged at him, knocking him to the side, but Erik waved his hand and sent the bullet flying anyway. Mystique stood and raced for the window – the only escape option – but it was too late. The bullet struck her square in the back, pushing her forward. Her body arched in mid-air, and everything froze for one moment. One absolutely still moment as Charles and Erik watched the light fade from their friend's eyes, as the echo from the gun bounced from wall to wall, mingling with her scream. And then it was over, and Mystique was on the ground.

Erik and Hank thudded to the floor, Erik impatiently pushing the younger man off him and grabbing for the gun. He took two steps closer to Mystique, raised the gun, and shot her square in the head. Then he lowered the weapon and turned to Charles, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "I had to make sure," he hissed, taking one final look over his shoulder at the mangled figure before turning to go.

Charles gathered all his strength and jumped after Erik, tackling him to the ground. He pressed his knees into Erik's legs and pinned his arms down with his own hands. "_How could you?_" he screamed, his face bright with anger.

Without struggling, Erik looked straight into Charles' eyes. "It was the only option," he whispered calmly. "You know that, Charles."

"The only thing I know," Charles breathed, "is that you are a goddamn _murderer_. You're a fucking _coward_!" he screamed, raising his hand, curling it into a fist, and slamming it down. He felt Erik's cheekbone crack under his knuckles, warm blood spilling onto the floor beneath them. "COWARD!" He brought his fist up and down, again and again.

Hank didn't try to stop him. He was crouched over Mystique. The gunshot to the head had transformed her into a grotesque corpse, no longer the person any of them had known. Hank rocked back and forth, muttering under his breath, tears slipping down his cheeks, his hands shaking.

Logan finally shook off the strange images that were still flashing in his mind and lunged at Charles, pinning his arms behind him. "Stop it, Professor. Stop."

Charles struggled against Logan's strength. "_He killed her. He killed her – he killed Raven – he killed my Raven._" And then finally, slowly, he relaxed into Logan's hold, his face contorting with grief, his breath coming in ragged sobs. He twisted his hand into Logan's shirt, holding on tightly to keep him upright, whispering one word over and over. "_Raven_."

A groan escaped Erik's lips as he pushed himself into a sitting position. His face was swollen beyond recognition, blood dripping down and staining his hands. He looked down at his bloodied hands and then back up at Charles. "I did this for you, Charles. For us."

Unable to fight any more, Charles sank to the floor, his body shaking, his hands tearing at the shirt over his chest. "I need it," he muttered, slowly turning to Hank. "_I need it._"

Hank ripped the black case from his pocket and hurled it at the ground next to Charles. "There," he shouted. "Take your drugs, why don't you? Take your easy way out. Take your goddamn cowardice and leave me the hell out of it."

Charles fumbled for the zipper, taking out the syringe out, his fingers shaking too much to steady it at his arm.

Logan gently pried the syringe from Charles' grip. "This won't help, Professor. You're going to wake up, and…she's still going to be gone."

Charles stared at the ground for a moment. Then he looked at Logan, his eyes red. "What if I never wake up?" he murmured. "What if…." He glanced around desperately, his fingers still working at the fabric over his heart. "None of this is worth it, you know. None of this pain."

Logan placed the syringe on the ground and crushed it beneath his boot. Charles' cry died in his throat. "Professor. You have improved the lives of so many. You have saved lives. You are worth it. We can make it better, Professor. We can make you better. You just need to _try_."

Charles gazed at the blue body on the floor, his lip quivering. Then he closed his eyes, slowing his breathing. "Yes. I'll try. I'll try," he whispered.


End file.
